The Law Written on Hearts

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Those who have sinned without the law will perish without the law, and those who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law. Hearing the law is not enough; Paul says the doers of the law will be justified.

Gentiles who do not have the law sometimes do what it requires by nature. They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience bears witness and their conflicting thoughts accuse or excuse them.

This will be clear on the day when God judges the secrets of people by Christ Jesus, according to Paul's gospel. The passage moves the discussion from public religious identity to the inner life God sees.

A conscience can remind someone of wrong even when no other person knows about it. It can also offer a defense. Paul describes those inward responses as witnesses; God remains the Judge. Feeling certain that we are right cannot settle the matter, and feeling accused does not mean every fearful thought is God's verdict.

The mention of doers being declared righteous does not give sinners a second way to earn salvation. Paul will shortly say that no one is justified by works of the law. He is removing the claim that hearing God's commands gives us special protection while we break them. We need the mercy of the very Christ through whom our secrets will be judged.